Friday, May 24, 2013

Drama! Infighting! Losing records! Bullpen implosions! Firing rumors! None of that matters now as we've reached the most critical point of the entire season: The Dodgers get a shot at the Eye On Baseball Heavyweight Championship!

What the hell am I going on about? Allow Dayn Perry, co-creator of the title, explain:

Since the concept of championship belts is cool in boxing, MMA and sports entertainment (aka pro wrestling), the Eye on Baseball team has decided to create a Heavyweight Championship belt for the 2013 season.

As the defending World Series champions, the Giants entered the season with the strap. From there, here are our rules.

1. A team must win a series from the champion to take the belt. One game isn't going to cut it, considering it's a 162-game season and teams all view the season in terms of series.

2. If the belt-holder splits a series (two- or four-game series), it retains. Much like on a draw in boxing or a count-out situation in pro wrestling, you don't get the belt unless you actually beat the champion. A tie isn't good enough.

3. If, at the end of the regular season, the belt-holder does not make the playoffs -- and due to the dynamics of this thing, that scenario is entirely plausible -- said team will be stripped of the title for not qualifying for the postseason. Then the winner of the playoffs -- the World Series -- takes the belt and the title into the offseason.

This is actually the Dodgers' second shot at the EOB belt. They failed to take it from the Giants in the opening series of the season, despite Clayton "1-2-3 Inning Kid" Kershaw hitting his finisher early in the match.

I've been tracking this all season*, and the Cardinals have dominated. (See calendar in the above link.) It's time for the Dodgers to take out the (Free)Birds and go on a Bruno Sammartino-esque run with the belt. They can't win the belt tonight, but taking the first fall will help, knowing that "The Million Dollar Bust" Ted Lilliase is tagging back in tomorrow.

*Yes, I'm weird. There's so little else to get excited about this season, so cut me some slack.